Delicate and decadent, a chocolate soufflé with raspberry sauce is the ultimate chef’s kiss

Cooking for friends and family has always been my love language. The food doesn’t have to be fancy, but whatever the occasion, having my loved ones gather around my table for a meal is my way to show them how much I care.

With this thought in mind, I wanted to think of a special dessert to make for Valentine’s Day that would be easy to put together in under an hour but would feel special enough to finish off a Valentine’s dinner. Looking through some of my favorite recipes, I came across my daughter Maggie’s recipe that she adapted for an easy chocolate soufflé.  This recipe is the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert when you want something that feels special without spending hours in the kitchen. It looks impressive but comes together with just a handful of pantry staples.

The soufflé has a rich chocolate base and bakes up light, delicate and cloudlike. To top off this decadent chocolate dessert, I paired it with an easy, fresh raspberry sauce to add a little brightness and color on the plate.

Whether you are cooking for that special someone, family or friends, this soufflé is best served warm straight from the oven, dusted with powder sugar and drizzled with the fresh raspberry sauce. And thanks to the help of an electric hand mixer, no fancy cooking techniques are required—just a little mixing and folding and lots of love.

Easy chocolate soufflé

Yield: 1 large (36-oz.) soufflé ramekin
or 6 individual (6-oz.) ramekins

4 Tbsp. butter, divided

1⁄3 cup plus 3 Tbsp. sugar, divided

3 large eggs

1 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

½ cup half-and-half

2 Tbsp. cold brew coffee or coffee liqueur

1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

¼ tsp. salt

4 oz. (50% to 55% cacao) dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter ramekins with 2 Tbsp. butter; dust with 3 Tbsp. sugar. Make sure all sides and bottoms are coated evenly; discard any unused sugar.

Separate egg yolks from whites into 2 separate mixing bowls; set aside.

To make chocolate base for soufflé, use a heavy saucepot to melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter completely. Add flour. Cook butter/flour mixture over medium heat for 1 minute, until combined and bubbling. Whisk in cocoa powder until combined and bubbling. Gently whisk in half-and-half, coffee, vanilla and salt. Continue to cook mixture for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Turn off heat and add chopped dark chocolate to this mixture. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Note that mixture may appear to have broken a bit. Carefully whisk in egg yolks 1 at a time until chocolate base is smooth and shiny.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually add remaining 1⁄3 cup sugar and continue beating until medium peaks have formed. Egg whites should be glossy and can hold shape, but peaks should slightly droop. Be careful of overbeating; if mixture is too stiff, it is difficult to incorporate chocolate base.

Whisk about ¼ of whipped egg whites into chocolate base to lighten it up. Next, pour lightened chocolate base into remaining egg whites. Gently fold until just combined; do not overmix.

Gently spoon soufflé batter into prepared ramekins and place in oven. Individual soufflés will be baked for 14 to 16 minutes, while the large one will bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Soufflés are done once they are puffed and still have a slight wobble in the center. Try to avoid opening the oven too soon to prevent soufflés from collapsing while baking.

Remove from oven, dust tops with powdered sugar, and serve at once with fresh raspberry sauce.

Fresh raspberry sauce

Yield: 2 cups

4 cups fresh raspberries

½ cup sugar

¼ cup orange liqueur

¾ cup water

Place fresh raspberries, sugar, orange liqueur and water in a heavy saucepot. Heat over medium high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking, stirring until raspberries have broken down and sauce coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and allow sauce to cool. Pour sauce through a mesh strainer and store in an airtight container in refrigerator. Sauce will keep in refrigerator for up to 1 month.

This article was originally published in the February 2026 issue of 225 Magazine.